File 600/1905 Pt 2 'Aden Hinterland: Future Policy' [‎340v] (168/226)

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They said that there was cultivation at the top of Masanna. The Attifis,
they said, lived in the Kobt and had no settled abode. Am Fajara belonged to
the Kulefi Bir Ali ba Jirja to the Buremi. Shawar was a Juledi village.
II The Sheikh then proceeded to urge that the Attifis had sent in the
hv him largely owing to his advice and he represented that he had proved
himself in this matter the friend of Government and then proceeded to press
for the orant of a stipend or anyhow larger presents^ than heietofore. He
himself "spoke pleasantly and was a somewhat nice eldeny man. His son Saleh
Seed! a youth of about Id to 17 years old, was, however of a different stamp.
He was a truculent, insolent young savage ana evidently beyond his father s
control His father, the Sheikh, admitted this fact and that his son had
already given him trouble by‘killing a man-one of the Humedi tribe.
Whereas g the Sheikh admitted the fact that he had always been treated with
due generosity and courtesy by Government and had always been on good
terms the son declared bis intention of now making conditions subject to which
the tribe would serve Government. He expressed himself dissatisfied with^ his
>ii i lt~ Ha had not vet arranged a suitable marriage
fathers treatment, xxe sum tuat lie nau not yet 0 fnfna,,
for him. He said in fact that he wanted to be now independent of his father
and to have a separate monthly stipend of 10 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. . The boy said that he
could not read or wnte, but that God had blessed him with mtelhgenoe and
that he proposed to hire a clerk and be a regular correspondent of Government
and he granted a personal allowance of Hs. 10 a month for that service.
I then had four of the elders of the tribe in. ^ They admitted that their
Sheikh had been treated with due honour and friendship m the past but they
urged that greater generosity was now needed to satisfy their needs. They
wished to serve Government and to get a regular money payment instead of
the occasional presents (about Rs. *00) a year now bestowed. When asked in
what way they wished to serve Government they replied that they wished to
protect their country and the roads in the vicinity from the Turks and also
from marauders, such as the Attifi. They, however, agreed that there was
nothing to fear from the Turks and that the Attifis had not of late made any
attack upon them.
I pointed out to these people that the Attifis had chosen them to be their
messengers in sending in the recently robbed post in accordance with our
demands, and I said that I was sorry that they had chosen the present oppor
tunity to refer in ungrateful terms to their treatment in the past, and to urge
their own claims and greater consideration. It was clear, I said, that they,
like the Attilis, had troublesome young men to deal v\ith and keep in order. I
only hope that they would be more successful than the AttitB had been of
late.
I informed them that I would, of course, represent their case to the Politi
cal liesidcnt. Meanwhile, I said that the best thing they could do was to
persuade the Attifi. of the necessity of complying with our demands for the
surrender of all stolen property and offenders. I said that I felt sure that we
should always continue good friends and that I would in due course inform
them of any special services which might be required of them. Meanwhile,
1 advised them not to let the counsels of bred strong youth to unduly prevail.
I then had a few words alone with the youug Saleh dm Saeed, one of the
most extraordinary young savages I have ever met. He is stunted somewhat
in growth, has small stumpy hands and feet and a mouth full of discoloured
but serviceable-looking teeth. He had a belt of French cartridges and the
usual jambia at his waist.
Nothing would satisfy him but the Rs. 10 a month which he had asked
for for himself. He refused to say good-bye. And in taking my hand he said
that he demanded from the hand of Government Rs. 10 a month. When I said
that I would see if I could find him some employment in the service of Govern
ment, he said that he could only serve in his own country as he had suggested.
1 have never met anything quite so precocious before. He left the room
without saying good-bye in the most insolent manner, and I then informed